Major changes to format but same tough roads

By Bjorn Haake

The 2007 Tour de l'Avenir sees two major changes in its format. For the first
time since 1980 the event is run with national teams. And the age limit has
been lowered to 23 - to be precise the event is open to anybody between 19 and
22 years of age. That's down from its previous under 25 regulation. Most teams
are from Europe, but unlike last year, USA did get a spot this time around.

Team USA will be riding with Thomas Peterson of Slipstream, wearer of the mountain
jersey in the Tour of California until Christophe Laurent, who will be Peterson's
team-mate next year, took over on
stage four. The national junior champion of 2004 will be accompanied by
Chris Barton of Ojai, California, and Craig Lewis, the winner of the U23 road race and criterium in 2006. Also on the team
will be Peter Salon, who has won the junior crit title in 2006, Tejay Van Garderen,
a ten time national junior champ and Peter Stetina, who did his first ProTour
race in
Plouay last week.

The other North American team is from Canada, with Christian Meier, Ryan Anderson,
Eric Boily, Bradley Fairall, Keven Lacombe and David Veilleux in the line-up.

France will send two squads, while other Euro teams include Slovenia, Portugal,
Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland and Norway.
Then there is a strong Eastern bloc with the Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Kazakhstan,
Latvia and Russia. The field is completed by a mixed team with riders of three
different continents and include a few Colombians, a Chinese rider and two Africans.

The route starts in a "beautiful island in the sea," according to its own name
(Belle-Île-en-Mer) and heads on mostly flat roads towards the east, before stage
five's time trial. The day in Sassay will mark the end of all hiding. After
the time trial, there is only one more flat stage before the race heads into
the medium mountains in the Massif Central for the last four days. The race
will finish in St. Flour where its big brother, Le Tour, has visited before
as well.

The Tour de l'Avenir's name is already a hint that it shows signs of things
to come, and famous winners of the event include Felice Gimondi, Joop Zoetemelk,
Miguel Indurain, Laurent Fignon and American Greg LeMond. Last year,
it was Spaniard Moisés Dueñas (Agritubel) who won the race and was
profiled onCyclingnews during his recent win
at the Regio Tour. He would love to win the big one, the Tour de France
and in doing so he would join the above list who have all done the double.